Within the scope of the illustrative embodiments, a product is a three-dimensional (3D) physical object, which is designed and manufactured as a solid having a shape. A variety of manufacturing processes, including but not limited to 3D printing can produce a product or prototype. A product can include other products as parts or components.
A user of a product can use the product under a variety of circumstances and in a variety of manners. For example, consider a vacuum cleaner as an example product, which includes wheels as parts. A wheel is a product as well, which is included in a wheel assembly, which is also a product.
A user can use the vacuum cleaner on carpets, hardwood floors, linoleum, or on bare concrete floor. Some users may also use the vacuum cleaner in wet areas or areas with debris. In such circumstances of the use, the vacuum cleaner may be rolled onto high pile carpets, pet hair, grass and twigs, and the like. The wheels may come in contact with wool, nylon, cotton, vinyl, and other types of materials.
As a result, it is not uncommon to see a variety of fibers tangled in the wheel assembly of a vacuum cleaner. Some vacuum cleaners may experience a failure of the wheel assembly as a result of such entanglement or obstruction of the movement of the wheel.
Some circumstances of a use of a product may be anticipated by the manufacturer, for which the product may be tested before the product is supplied to the users. Other circumstances of use of the product may not be anticipated or tested. For example, some circumstances of the use of the product may surface only upon actual use by actual users in actual circumstances.
Users report their experiences with a product in a variety of ways. Some users request warranty repairs, others submit service requests, and some share their experiences with the manufacturer or other users on social media, and in reviews, surveys, complaints, product return forms etc. Other users, such as product testers and analysts also report their findings in a variety of ways. The reported data from the various users can take the form of text, audio, video, images, or some combination thereof.